Key identifier



4, 1965 M. SASICH 3,201,885

KEY IDENTIFIER Filed June 24, 1965 INVENTOR. (Zen Jasz'cit Qformg United States Patent 3,291,885 KEY IDENTIFIER Miian Sasich, 3201 S. 53rd St, Milwaukee 19, Wis. Filed June 24, 1963, Sort. No. 290,084 1 Claim. (Cl. 40-639) This invention relates generally to keys and more particularly to a key provided with a novel identifier element for distinguishing the particular key from a group of keys.

It is the usual practice for a person to carry a group of keys on a ring, in a case, or the like and one or two of these keys are used most frequently while the others are used only occasionally. It is a distinct advantage to have the most frequently used keys readily distinguishable fnorn the others to facilitate their selection from the group of keys. Furthermore, it often occurs that the most frequently used keys, such as the house key or the automobile ignition key must be selected in the dark, and under these conditions it is particularly desirable that the keys can be identified by the sense of touch.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved identifier for keys.

Another object of the invention is to provide an identifying member on keys that facilitates the identification of the keys by the sense of touch as well as the sense of sight.

Another object is to provide an identifier for a key that may be securely attached to the key without special tools.

Another object is to provide an identifier for keys that may be mounted to the key by means of the hole normally provided in the key without interfering with the normal use of the hole for attaching the key to rings, cases and the like.

Another object is to provide a tassel that can be easily mounted on the key and which is readily seen and felt for identifying the key.

A further object is to provide an improved method for forming a tassel that can be easily attached to a key for identifying the key.

A further object is to provide an improved identifier for keys that is of simple and inexpensive construction but serves very efiiciently to perform its intended function.

According to this invention the improved key identificr comprises a tassel formed of a flexible sheet material having substantial body such as leather or plastic. The tassel is formed from a rectangular piece of the material. One side of the material is cut into narrow strips that extend from the side partially across its width to form a fringe along the length of the material on one side. The opposite side is provided with a laterally extending tab at each end and a hole is formed in each tab. The

material is then rolled into a cylindrical shape to form a tassel and the tabs are so spaced that when the material is rolled into the tassel shape the two tabs overlie each other and the holes in the tabs are in registration.

The tassel is assembled to the key by locating one of the tabs on each side of the head of the key and placing the holes in the tabs in registration with the hole that is always provided in the head of a key. The tassel is secured to the key by a tubular pin which is passed through the holes in the two tabs and the key. The pin is secured in position by forcing a locking element over its unheaded end.

The foregoing and other objects of this invention, which will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof may be achieved by the article herein described by way of example in connection with the illustration of its structural components in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a key having an identifier mounted on it which incorporates the features of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a conventional key to which the identifier of the present invention may be secured to facilitate the identification of the key;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the identifier of the present invention before it is rolled into a cylindrical configuration for attachment to a key;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the material depicted in FIGURE 3 after it is rolled into a cylindrical configuration ready for attachment to a key for serving as an identification for the key;

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the two parts of a fastener that may be utilized for securing the identifier of the present invention to a key; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along the plane represented by the line 22 in FIGURE 1 to illustrate the manner of fastening the identifier member to the key.

Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings and specifically to FIG. 1 thereof which illustrates a key it) having secured to it an identifier member generally identified by the reference numeral 11. The key it is a conventional key, as illustrated in FIG. 2, for opening any of the variety of key operate-d locks. It comprises the'lock operating portion 12 and a head 13 which is invariably provided with a hole 15 that is normally used for securing the key to a ring, chain, case or the like. The consistent presence of the hole 15 in keys is taken advantage of in the present invention by using it for attaching the identifier 11 to the key in a manner to be subsequently described without interfering with the normal use of the hole 15.

The identifier member 11 comprises a tassel formed of leather, synthetic leather, plastic or other substantial material. A pair of tabs 21 and 22 extend from the end of the tassel 29 to be disposed on either side of the head 13 of the key it). The tab '21 is provided with a hole 23 while an identical hole 24 is formed in the tab 22 as clearly shown in FIG. 3. The holes 23 and 24 cooperate with the hole 15 in the key 10 for attaching the identifier member 11 to the key.

The identifier member 11 is formed of a rectangular sheet of flexible but substantial material as shown in FIG. 3. A number of parallel cuts are made in the material to form a plurality of narrow successive strips 25 of equal width that extend from one longitudinal edge of the material partially across its width to form a fringe generally identified by the reference numeral 26. The fringe 26 extends along one longitudinal side of the material while the tabs 21 and 22 extend laterally from the opposite longitudinal side of the material with the tab 21 being disposed at one end of the side and the tab 22. on the opposite end of the same side. As previously mentioned, the holes 23 and 24 are formed in the tabs 21 and 22 respectively.

The identifier member 11 may be formed from the configuration illustrated in FIG. 3 by folding the material in overlapping sections of approximately the same Width as the tabs 21 and 22. Preferably, the sheet of material shown in FIG. 3 is rolled into the cylindrical configuration shown in FIG. 4 so that one of the tabs extends from the center of the cylindrical configuration while while the other tab extends from the exterior of the cylinder. Thus, the identifier member 11 illustrated in FIG. 4 is produced by rolling the left end of the material depicted in FIG. 3 toward the right end of the material so that the tab 21 extends from the interior of the cylinder as clearly shown in FIG. 4 and the tab 22 extends from the exterior of, the cylinder. The over lapping or rolling of the fringe 26 transforms this fringe into the tassel 20 that is an integralpart of the. identifierll. i p

It will be noted that the tabs 21 and 22 are so spaced alongtherectangular piece that when the rolling'of the material is completed-to form'the cylinder shown in FIG. 4, the tabs 21 and 22. are substantially parallel to each other and overlie each other so that the hole 23 in the tab 21 registers with the hole 24 formed in the tab 22. This is an important feature. for facilitating'the assembly of the identifier 11 to the key It I To this end, thetab 21.is .placed'on one side of the head 13 of the key 19 while the tab '22 is'placed on the opposite side of the head 13 as clearly shown 'in FIGS. 1 and 6. The tabs 21and 22 are positioned relative to the head 13 so that the holes 23 and 24 formed in the tabs 21 and 22 respectively are in registration with the hole 15'formedin the head 13 ;of the key' 10. The

identifier member 11 is then secured to the key 10 'by a fastener generally identified by the reference numeralv 3t) and which extends through'the three holes 23, 115 and 24.; In this manner the tassel is fastened directly to the key Without any interveningstructure, so that, in effect, the tassel 2% becomes an integral part of the key.

The fastener 3% is clearly shown in FIG. 5 and comprises a vtubular pm 31 having a head 32." A locking element'35 cooperates with'the pin 31 to form the fastener. for. securing the identifier member 11 on the key 10. The. locking element includes a plurality diameter for engagement with the ,periphery of the pin securingtheidentifier member, 11 in position, a suitable hole 39 remains in the same location for serving the original purpose;

If the identifier member 11 is thus attached to a key which is 'most frequently .used'or one that is often used in the dark, the key'may be readily identified from other keysj'in the group by either the sense of feel or the sense of sight. Circumstances may arisewhere it is desirable to provide the identifier-members 11 on two or more keysof a group of .keys on a ring. In such cases, the identifier members 11 may be made of different colors to facilitate the selection of one of the several identified keys and if it is preferred that this be accomplished by the sense of feel, as for example, where light is not available when using the key, the tassels 20 may be made of different lengths or of' a material of different stiffness so that the two or more keys bearing the identifier members 11 may be distinguished from each other as well as from the other keys of the. group .by the sense of feel.k' f a f The tassel construction of the identifier 11 is particularly well adapted for identifying keys because it serves to readily distinguish the keys. by the sense of sight or by "the sense of touch. fIn. addition, it is flexible and'compact sothat it does not occupy an excessive amount of space and will readily adapt itself to the space that is available Furthermore, although it extends from the key which it identifies, its flexibility'a voids causing ex- .cessive wear on the pockets of the clothes in which it 3t) of radial leaves 34 extending inwardly, from, its inner,

is contained. J o

" From the foregoing detailed description of the illustrative embodiment'of the present invention, it will be and being inclined outwardly a slight amount} The fastener 3th is assembled by forcing the locking element 35 about the periphery of the pin 31 The end of the pin 31 opposite the head 32' is tapered to facilitate the reception of the locking element 35 which is forced about the periphery of the pin 31 so that the-edges of the leave 34 engage the periphery of the pin beyond the tapered portion. The leaves 34 are inclined outwardly in .a direction to permit the locking element 35 to be forced onto the periphery of the pin 31. However, any force applied in a direction to displace the locking element 35 off of the pin 31 causes the leaves 34. to grip the periphery of the pin. This'gripping action of the leaves 34 is sufficient to prevent the displacement of .the locking element 35 off of the pin 31 unless an extraordinary amount '11, the

apparent that a..new and improved key identifier has been provided which may be readily mounted on a conventional key and that serves to very efficiently distinguish the key from other keys by boththe senseof sight or the sense of touch. i

Although the illustrativeembodiment of the invention'has been'described inQconsiderable .detail for the purpose of making a full disclosure of a practical operative arrangement by means of which the. invention may be practised, it is to be understoodthat various novel features of theinventi on. maybe incorporated in other arrangements without departing fromthe spirit and scope of, the invention as defined in the. subjoined claim. The principles" of the inventionhavinginowbeen fully explainedin connection with the foregoing description of embodying structure, I hereby claim as my invention:

forced through these holes until its head 32 bears against one of the tabs. against the surface of the tab 22i-in. FIG. 6 The pin 31 is of sufficient length to extend beyond the outer surface of the tab 21 so that the extending end may receive the locking element. 35. With the pin 31 in this is utilized for this purpose so that its cylindrical open-f ing 39 replaces the openinglS in the head 13-of the key 10 for attaching the key with its identifier member .11 to a key ring, chain, case .or the like. Therefore, al though the fastener 30 is passed through the hole 15 for Thus, the head 32 is'shown bearing flexible material having a fringe along one side and a pair of tabs extending from the opposite side with the tabs'being disposed at the ends of thesheet of material, said sheet beingrolled upon itself into a roll with said tabs extending from one end of'the roll; and a fastener extending through the head of the key and through said tabs for attaching the rolled material to the key andifor reta-ining'the material in its rolled condition with said fringed portion extending from said tabs; whereby said'fringed material functions to iden- 6'0.

tifythe key from other keys in a group.

' References Citedby' the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,999,583 4/35 Bouvier 281-42 2,327,433 8/43 Johnson 402 1 2,465,605 3/49 Povich 402 X 2,759,280

*8/56 Schlage 40330 JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. 'VLAWRENCEI CHARLES, Examiner. 

